ridicule

1 of 2

noun

rid·​i·​cule ˈri-də-ˌkyül 

: the act of ridiculing : derision, mockery

ridicule

2 of 2

verb

ridiculed; ridiculing

transitive verb

: to make fun of

ridiculer noun

Synonyms

Noun

• derision
• mockery
• sport

Verb

• deride
• gibe
• jibe
• jeer
• laugh (at)
• mock
• scout
• shoot down
• skewer

Choose the Right Synonym for ridicule

ridicule, deride, mock, taunt mean to make an object of laughter of.

ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling.

consistently ridiculed everything she said

deride suggests contemptuous and often bitter ridicule.

derided their efforts to start their own business

mock implies scorn often ironically expressed as by mimicry or sham deference.

the other kids mocked the way he laughed

taunt suggests jeeringly provoking insult or challenge.

hometown fans taunted the visiting team

Examples of ridicule in a Sentence

Noun

She didn't show anyone her artwork for fear of ridicule.

the early efforts by the suffragists to obtain voting rights for women were met with ridicule

Verb

The other kids ridiculed him for the way he dressed.

They ridiculed all of her suggestions.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Her testimony brought on an enormous amount of public judgment and ridicule. —Jane Thier, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2024

The first episode’s ridicule of Brown’s religiosity, and its relish of the pre–Civil War mayhem in Bleeding Kansas, made the series seem part of this unfortunate trend. —Martha Bayles, National Review, 24 Oct. 2024

Verb

Young voters in both camps have seized on certain messages to ridicule or to emphasize certain values which have ranged from Tik Tock, Instagram reels of dance videos about eating cats and dogs to Trump depicted as the Messiah. —Earl Carr, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

The former president has repeatedly ridiculed the conservative cable news giant in the weeks leading up to Election Day. —Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French or Latin; French, from Latin ridiculum jest

First Known Use

Noun

1675, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1680, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ridicule

• figure of fun/ridicule
• hold (someone) up to (public) ridicule
• self-ridicule
• subject/object of ridicule

Kids Definition

ridicule

1 of 2 noun

rid·​i·​cule ˈrid-ə-ˌkyü(ə)l 

: the act of making fun of someone or something : derision

ridicule

2 of 2 verb

ridiculed; ridiculing

: to make fun of : deride

ridiculer noun